No room for a fruit tree? The espalier proves otherwise. Trained flat against a wall, a bearing apple or pear needs barely more than half a metre of depth. What once adorned monastery gardens and manor houses is today the most elegant solution for small gardens, courtyard walls and terraces.
An espalier is a little more work than a normal tree, but rewards you with an early, well-lit harvest in the smallest space. This article shows you how to get the spot, the frame and the pruning right.
The warm wall as an ally
The classic spot for a fruit espalier is a wall facing south or west. It stores heat by day and gives it off at night. That brings the blossom and ripening forward, colours the fruit better and makes even warmth-loving pear varieties more reliable. On a shady north wall only robust, undemanding varieties succeed.
For the pear the warm wall is especially valuable. Why it so appreciates warmth and what else to watch is in Planting a pear tree: warm spot, rootstock and pollinator.
Frame and planting
An espalier needs a stable frame to tie the branches to. Common forms are the single or multi-armed vertical cordon, the U-shape and the horizontal palmette with several tiers. All share a wire frame that you mount slightly off the wall with spacers, so air circulates behind it and the bark does not stay permanently damp.
Choose a weak rootstock
An espalier on a vigorous rootstock is hard to tame. Take weak-growing rootstocks, then the tree stays calm and bears early.
Tension the wire frame
Fit horizontal wires about 40 centimetres apart one above the other, with spacers roughly a hand's width off the wall. They carry the branches in the chosen form.
Plant bare-root
Set the tree in the dormant season, weeks 40 to 46, about a hand's width off the wall, because the soil there is drier. The basics are in the planting tips for fruit trees.
Tie in, do not force by bending
Guide the leading branches into the desired direction and tie them loosely to the wire. Draw horizontal arms into shape gradually over several years rather than forcing them with a jerk.
Keep it flat with summer pruning
The summer cut, weeks 30 to 34, is the espalier's most important tool. It slows the steep new growth, keeps the form flat and promotes fruiting wood.
Why summer pruning is decisive
An espalier lives on summer pruning. Winter pruning would only stir the tree to even more steep growth, exactly wrong for a flat form. In summer, by contrast, the cut slows things down: you shorten the steep new shoots, keep the tiers clean and channel the energy into fruiting wood. Without this regular work the elegant espalier soon becomes a wild thicket. The principle behind it is in Summer pruning of fruit trees.
Warm wall, weak rootstock, stable wire frame and consistent summer pruning. Then even the narrowest surface bears apples and pears.
The core rule for the fruit espalier
Frequently asked questions
Which fruit suits an espalier?
Above all apple and pear train excellently as espaliers. Both form willing fruiting wood on flatly led branches. Peach and apricot also work on the warm wall, but are more demanding.
Which wall is best for a fruit espalier?
A wall facing south or west. It stores heat, brings blossom and ripening forward and colours the fruit better. On a north wall only robust, low-warmth varieties succeed.
How much space does an espalier need?
Surprisingly little depth, often half a metre off the wall is enough. In width it depends on the form, from the narrow column to the several-metre-wide palmette anything is possible.
When and how do I prune an espalier?
The most important is the summer cut, weeks 30 to 34. It slows the steep new growth and keeps the form flat. In winter only little is corrected, a hard winter cut would only make the tree more vigorous.
Does an espalier need a special rootstock?
Yes, a weak-growing one. On a vigorous rootstock the espalier is hard to keep in shape and constantly overgrows. With a weak rootstock the tree stays calm, compact and bears early.
